The Unknown Disease
by thegirlwhoreadcomics
Summary: Something is wrong with Robin. He isn't himself...Scarecrow's newest drug seem to be working it's magic and Robin soon notices the urge to hurt his loved ones. Will Batman and the team be able to stop the boy and find a cure before the drug takes over Robin's mind permanently? - Rated M for some violence and coarce language


It was Robin's day off. After what had happened in Gotham a week before, Batman had ordered the boy to rest. The Dynamic duo had been fighting Gotham's well known criminals: Joker and The Scarecrow. The criminal duo had been able to escape and badly hurt Robin's left arm.

For an average teenager 'vacation' sounds like a dream but for someone like Robin- the crime fighting Boy Wonder- it was agonizing not being able to go on any missions with his team. He felt useless sitting around in Mount Justice. He felt angry.

Dick was sitting on the couch surfing through TV channels. The same channels as yesterday and the day before that. Nothing new. Nothing interesting. He was about to close it but was distracted by the sound of his teammates. They had just returned from a mission and they were all laughing and chatting together.

'Hey, Rob!' Wally cheered when running closer to his resting friend.

'Dude, you should have seen the way we fought with Flash and Tornado! It was epic!' Wally cried out in excitement that soon faded away when seeing Robin's shallow looking face.

'You okay, pal?' Wally asked a little concerned. He should've had tried to hide some of his excitement. He knew how hard it was for the kid to just sit around all day doing nothing just "because Batman told him to". Robin felt a little ashamed for making his team mate worry. He quickly put a forced smirk on his face.

'Yeah, sounds great!' What was that? Why did he sounds so sarcastic?

'We wish you could have been there. The fight was truly amazing,' Megan added moving to the kitchen to grab a drink. Robin turned his head away from the team when they were all settled down. He was angry. His hand wasn't even hurting as much as before. He was fine. And he was definitely going on the next mission Batman was gonna sign them on. No matter what.

* * *

The evening they just talked. Robin was even starting to relax when Wally accidentally sniffed some of the popcorn's spice mix. The whole team laughed when the redheaded boy complained about the stinging in his nose. They were soon interrupted by a sound of beeping coming from Robin's glove. A mission. They all looked at each other, got up and headed to the mission room. Now was the time for Robin to talk to Batman about the situation that had bothered him more than anything else in a long time.

When the whole team arrived, they didn't have to wait long to see Batman's face forming to the large screen in front of them. Robin was standing beside Artemis and watching his mentor with frustration written all over his face. Of course nobody saw that. He had his glasses on.

'I have a mission for you,' Batman said with his usual deep voice that only Dick knew wasn't fully his own.

('No kidding' Robin thank to himself.)

Pictures of an old house appeared to the screen next to Batman. 'There's been rumors about Gotham's old children hospital. The building hasn't been active in years but people have reported seeing youngsters gather up to do things not worth mentioning.'

The team shared a confused look. Surely Batman was talking about drug dealing. It was very commonly done in abandoned buildings since nobody 'normal' ever visited them.

'I want you to search through this place. See if you can find any evidence of mischief and if so, inform me.'

'What if we run into trouble?' Artemis pointed out.

'You are allowed to use force but only as self defense. The police will take care of them later.'

'Understood.' Kaldur said calmly. 'Let's move it team!'

Robin pulled Kaldur aside. 'Wait for me in the ship. If I don't show up in ten minutes, you can leave,' he whispered as quietly as he could.

'Robin.. I-' Kaldur looked at the dark-haired teen slightly startled. Then he looked at Kid Flash who was nodding behind the Boy Wonder as to signal Aqualad to just agree.

Kaldur nodded seriously then they sprinted to the bio ship. All but Robin who stood perfectly still on his place. He waited for the team to leave the room. Now he was alone with Batman's picture still on the screen. The pictures of the building were disappearing meaning that Batman was shutting down the communication device.

'Wait,' Robin said loudly. Batman raised his head curiously to see his protege clenching his fists.

'I wanna go,' he continued.

'You're sick, you can't go.'

'I'm not sick. I got a little bruise on my arm a week ago and suddenly I can't fight crime for a month?!' Robin's voice rose a little and it even made him surprised. He tried to stay casual but found it very difficult as all of the anger he had felt for the past week now started to unfold.

'You are still in the need of rest. You are not going,' came a cold reply. Robin now looked at his mentor with rage. He had had enough of Batman telling him how he felt and what he was going to do.

'My arm is fine, it does not hurt. How many times do I have to say it to you?' Robin stepped forward. Batman noticed the boy's breathing quicken. 'I feel like a trapped bird in here!' Then he crossed his arms and turned his face away for he was not sure if he had the guts to say what he was about to say. 'Of course you wouldn't understand,' he hissed. Then he gathered up his courage and faced his mentor again. 'I'M DONE WITH YOU BOSSING ME AROUND WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I FEEL!' Batman looked at the boy with confusion. This wasn't like Dick. He had no idea where this attitude came from and to be honest, nor did Robin. He was breathing deeply with his eyes narrowed just waiting for Batman to say something, to do something.

'This conversation is over. You are not going and that is final. Batman out.' The screen went black.

Robin was furious. 'Batman out?' Robin thank to himself. 'Batman out?!' This guy was messing with him. Robin looked at the time. His team was about to leave soon. Batman had ordered him to stay inside...but... Then he had an idea. He even giggled to himself his usual Robin laughter. Batman wasn't the only one 'out' tonight.

* * *

Robin arrived to the ship on time. Everybody was staring at him with surprise.

'What? I have something on my face?' He asked lightly.

'He let you come?' Kid Flash asked breaking the silence.

'Yeah.'

'B-But how?'

Robin settled to his seat. 'Well you know, talked him around.'

Connor raised an eyebrow. 'Batman doesn't seem like people you just "talk around".'

'You sure you're alright?' Artemis added.

Robin sighted. He felt another wave of anger pass through him.

'Look, it's nice that you look after me but I don't need a babysitter! I talked to Batman and he clearly said I could come. He knows me,' Robin lied.

Megan looked at Kaldur. 'Well, in that case,' she tried to sound cheerful. The ship rose from the ground and they headed to Gotham.

* * *

Gotham, the city of mischief and death. How could somebody live here without going nuts? When they arrived to the abandoned hospital, Kadur wanted them to split up, to make the investigation quicker.

'Connor and I'll take the first floor and the possible basement areas. Artemis, Megan, you take the second floor.' Kaldur turned to Wally and Robin. 'You two search the neighbourhood. If you run in to trouble, call for help,' he said looking at Megan's direction. She nodded and soon they were all linked. 'Good luck, team,' Kaldur added. Robin let out a smirk. 'Won't be needing it,' he said amused. The other members looked at each other confused but soon turned and got to work.

Wally ran to Robin. 'Dude, what was that about?' Robin didn't like the question. 'Urgh, We don't have time for this. Let's just focus on the missi-' Suddenly they both heard a scream coming from a few blocks away. Robin looked at Wally who nodded. 'Let's go!'

Following the screams they ran to the left and then turned to a narrow, dark sidewalk. What they saw made them both angry. Especially Robin. Men with dark clown masks tied to their faces were standing around a barely conscious woman. The men held bloody crowbars on their hands. The woman noticed the heroes and looked at them with hope in her eyes. Robin noticed that her nose was bleeding and she had bruises and scars all over her body and face.

Robin took out his staff and jumped to the air. He laid hits on two of the crooks that immediately fell to the ground. Electric staff. His favorite weapon. Wally wasn't used to fighting in such narrow places. No space to run. Robin noticed this. 'KF, take her to safety!' he shouted to his partner. Wally did what he was told and carefully picked up the woman trying not to hurt her more. Then he dashed out of the scene.

Robin turned back to his enemies. One was about to attack him from behind with his crowbar above his head. Robin dodged the hit, kicked the man first on his wrist then hard on his stomach. The clown fell and hissed as his head hit the ground. Two left. Robin turned his head only to see them already running away as fast as their legs could carry them. One of them had dropped their crowbar. Robin grabbed it to his hands and frowned. Suddenly he felt a sharp wave of pain in his head.

 ** _'Yes, Robin. He deserves it. He deserves to feel the pain he caused to the poor lady. Show him justice. Make him scream.'_** Somebody was talking to him...only to him...inside his head. What was happening? By every inhale he felt angrier. And what was the pressure he felt in his chest? His breathing quickened. It was impossible for him to think straight anymore. He tried to fight it but at the end, whoever was talking to him... was right.

Robin could hear the clown-dressed man whine and wimp behind him. The boy turned around holding the crowbar tightly in his hands. He had a villainous smile on his face and the eyes of a lunatic as he looked at the man on the ground. 'No. Please, don't,' was all the man got to say before feeling the cold metal bar smash his face.

Something was wrong. Robin knew it. But somehow it felt so good to cause pain to the man laying beneath him. He couldn't stop. He didn't want to. Robin could see the man starting to lose consciousness. Robin let out a giggle. This was good. This was right.

'ROBIN!' a girl's voice came behind him. He felt two pairs of hands grabbing him from behind (Superboy and Kid Flash), dragging him away from the blood-covered man. 'Coward! Screw you!' Robin screamed as loud as he could. The man stumbled up and ran quickly away from the devilish teen. 'Let go of me!' Robin insisted and so he was released. Robin could see his team mates look at him in shock.

'What the hell happened?' Wally raised his voice. Robin breathed in deeply to calm himself down and wiped the blood from his face. 'He deserved it.'

Kaldur frowned. 'Nobody deserves THIS!'

Robin's head was spinning. Why were his team mates mad at him? He did what was right.

The Boy Wonder rose to his feet and slowly lifted his crowbar to signal the others he was ready to fight. The team got to their fighting position. Megan closed her eyes. She could try to enter the boy's mind and shut it down so they didn't have to fight him.

Everything was dark in the boy's mind. She saw grey fog...everywhere. She was soon interrupted by Robin.

'DON'T even try,' the boy quickly warned her.

'If you're not gonna come down easy, we'll have to use force,' Kaldur warned back. Truly nobody wanted to fight their little brother but what choice did they had?

Robin was about to attack but was stopped by the man in his head.

 _ **'No. They are not worth it, Robin. Forget them. Get me to Batman.'**_

Robin had to grab his head due to the pain. The boy stepped back letting out a grunt and dropping the crowbar to the ground. This scared Kid Flash.

'Dude!' The speedster was at his friend's side in a flash ready to grab him if he fainted.

 _ **'Get. Batman.'**_ The voice growled.

'Let's just get back to the Cave, okay?' Robin hissed out squirming out of Kid Flash's grip, then heading back to the ship. Wally was left speechless. He turned to his team and shrugged his shoulders. Everybody let out a sigh of relief. They didn't have to fight their youngest team member.

'Okay, what just happened?' Artemis asked placing her arrow back to her bag.

'Should we tell Batman?' Connor joined.

Wally panicked. 'Whoa, whoa! You serious? Bats would kill him.'

Kaldur looked at the bloodstains on the floor and the crowbar Robin had left behind. 'If we don't I'm afraid Robin will be the one to kill.'

* * *

The Team arrived to Mount Justice after an hour of no talking. Everyone had noticed Robin's breathing quicken at times but didn't want to risk triggering anything by asking. Especially when they were on air.

They were now at the living quarters with their uniforms still on. Nobody was speaking except for Kaldur who was interviewing Megan on what she had seen in the boy's mind. 'I just couldn't get in. It was cold and dark and suddenly I- I was pushed away,' she explained as quiet as she could so that only Kaldur could hear her.

Robin was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Wally and Artemis were checking on him form a far in case he fell down or something which was possible judging by the boy's pale face.

Dick was furious and wanted all to just go away. He felt pressure gather up in his chest and breathing was painful. He placed a hand on his heart. What was happening to him? He could hear Megan's and Kaldur's conversation from the other side of the room. Kaldur looked at Robin and walked to him.

'How are you feeling?'

Just as Robin was about to answer, they heard the zeta beam inform them;

'Recognized: Batman-02'

Footsteps came louder and louder and soon they saw Batman enter the room.

'Who invited you?' Robin asked glaring at his mentor.

Connor got up from his chair. 'We did.'

Robin didn't seem to understand what was going on.

'Dude, you're scaring us. Back at the hospital... you're not yourself,' Kid Flash added from the couch.

Robin clearly didn't like where the conversation was going. 'Oh, so now YOU'RE telling me how I feel?!'

Batman walked closer to his son. 'Robin, I need you to calm down.'

Something snapped in the boy's head. 'Need me? You never needed me! YOU TOOK ME IN OUT OF PITY!'

Batman winced at the comment. Dick was close to revealing his identity. Their identities.

 _ **'Attaboy! He never needed you. He saw a pathetic parentless boy with no sense of the future. Do you appreciate that? He's made you a laughingstock.'**_

 _Robin grabbed his head. It felt like it was going to explode. He heard his team panic a little, asking what was happening. Robin didn't want to answer. He didn't even know himself. The room was spinning and the pressure in his chest wouldn't disappear. Robin felt rage unlike he had ever felt. It was hurting him. Batman could see that._

'Robin,'Batman moved closer to his protege. 'What's wrong?' he asked placing a hand on the boy's shoulder hoping it would calm him down. To his surprise Robin flinched and quickly pulled himself away from the concerned mentor. As he did so, he swung his hand to slap his mentor's as to signal him he didn't wan't to be touched. The boy backed away.

 _ **'Get him, Robin. He deserves it. Everything is his fault. In the end he doesn't even care about you.'**_

Robin's eyes were opened wide under his domino mask as he reached for his belt and grabbed a birdarang sharp as a knife. 'Don't come any closer,' he let out a villainous giggle. 'or I'll kill you.'

Batman and the team were ready to fight. 'Please, Rob, don't make us do this!' Wally tried desperately.

 _Dick was fighting whatever was inside of him. He did all he could not to swing the birdarang at his friends but at the same time he felt unbearable urge to do it. Suddenly his eyes started to feel heavy and he couldn't keep his balance right. Had he won? Was he going to die? He saw dark circles fill his eyes and he lost his footing._

Seeing this Batman dashed forward and was able to catch the boy right before he hit the floor. Robin squirmed in his hands, mumbling and tried to get back up without success.

'Stay here,' The Dark Knight said with his echoing dark voice. Robin had to be taken to the infirmary. Whatever was going on inside the boy was something Batman had never seen before.

 **End of Chapter One**

Whooh! That sure was fun :D It's just that I haven't come across any daddybats hurt-comfort fanfics lately so I thought why not write one myself!

If you're intrested on what will happen to the little birdy baby, keep reading ;)

I would also appreciate feedback from you guys! Tell me what you think of my writing, it always makes my day :)


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